treats every fubje&t which he handles, whether ferious or ludicrous, in a mafterly manner. He knew, almoft, beyond any man, the Purity, the Extent, the Precifion of the English Language; and, therefore, to fuch as with to attain a pure and correct Style, he is one of the most useful models. But to imitate Mr. Harvey's piety, rather than his Style; and, in all compofitions of a ferious kind, to turn their attention, as Mr. Pope fays, "from founds to things, from fancy to the heart." we muft not look for much ornament Character of Tillotson's Style. and grace in his Language. haughty and morofe genius, made His him defpife any embellishment of this kind as beneath his dignity. He delivers his fentiments in a plain, downright, pofitive manner, like one who is fure he is in the right; and is very indifferent whether you he pleafed or 'not. His fentences are commonly negligently arranged; diftinetly enough as to the fenfe; but, without any regard to smoothness of found; often without much regard to compactness, or elegance. If a metaphor, or any other figure, chanced to render his fatire more poignant, he would, perhaps, vouchfafe to adopt it, when it came in his way; but if it tended only to embellish and illuftrate, he would rather throw it afide. Hence, in his ferious pieces, his ftyle often borders upon the dry and unpleafing; in his humorous ones, the plainnels of his manner gives his wit a fingular edge, and fets it off to the higheft advantage. There is no froth, nor affectation in it; it flows without any Atudied preparation; and while he hardly appears to fmile himself, he makes his reader laugh heartily. From the fame. Sty of Archbishop Tillotson' IMPLICITY is the great beau manner. Tillotfon has long been admired as an eloquent writer, and a model for preaching. But his eloquence, if we can call it fuch, has been often mifunderflood. For, if we include, in the idea of eloquence, vehemence and ftrength, picturesque defcription, glowing figures, or correct arrangement of fentences, in all these parts of oratory the Archbishop is exceedingly deficient. His Style is always pure, indeed, and perfpicuous, but carelefs and remifs, too often feeble and languid; little beauty in the conftruction of his fentences, which are frequently fuffered to drag unhar moniously; feldom any attempt_towards ftrength or fublimity. But, notwithstanding thefe defects, fuch a conftant vein of good fenfe and piety runs through his works, fuch an earneft and ferious manner, and fo much useful inftru&tion conveyed in a Style fo pure, natural and unaffected, as will juftly recommend him to high regard, as long as the English Language remains; not, indeed, as a model of the highest eloquence, but as a fimple and amiable writer, whofe manner is Character of Harvey's Style. Atrongly expreffive of great goodness From the fame. The I it reflects more honour on the reli- and worth. Simplicity of manner may be confiftent with fome degree of negligence in ftyle; and it is only the beauty of that fimplicity which makes graceful. But, as it appears in the the negligence of fuch writers feem Archbishop, negligence may fometimes be carried fo far as to impair the beauty of Simplicity, and make it bor der on a flat and languid manner. Simplicity. In point of ornament and correctnefs, he rifes a degree above Tillotson; though, for coreanefs, be is not in the highest rank. All is eafy and flowing in him; he is exceedingly harmonious; fmoothness, and what may be called amenity, are the diftinguishing characters of his manner; relaxing, fometimes, as fuch a manner will naturally do, into a prolix and remifs Style. No writer has ftamped upon his Style a more lively impreffion of his own character. In reading his works, we feem engaged in converfa tion with him; we become thoroughly acquainted with him, not merely as an author, but as a man ; and contract a friendship for him. He may be claffed as flanding in the middle, between a negligent Simplicity, and the higheft degree of Ornament, which this character of Style admits. Character of Addifon's Style From the fame. F the highest, most correct, and ornamented degree of the fimple manner, Mr. Addifon, is, beyond doubt, in the English Language, the moft perfect example: and, therefore, though not without fome faults, he is, on the whole, the fafeft model for imitation, and the freeft from confiderable defects, which the Language affords. Perfpicuous and pure he is in the highest degree; his precifion, indeed, not very great; yet nearly as great as the fubjects which he treats of require the conftruction of his fentences easy, agreeable, and commonly very mufical; carrying a character of fmoothnefs, more than of frength. In Figurative Language, he is rich; particularly, in fimilies and metaphors; which are fo employed, as to render hisStyle fplendid without being gaudy. There is not the leaft Affectation in his manner; we fee no marks of labour; nothing forced or conftrained; but great elegance joined with great eafe and fimplicity. He is, in particular, diftinguifhed by a charafter of modefty, and of politenefs, which appear in all his writings. No author has a more popular and infinuating manner; and the great regard which he every where fhews for vir tue and religion, recommends him highly. If he fails in any thing, it is in want of ftrength and precifion, which renders his manner, though perfe&ly fuited to fuch effays as he writes in the Spectator, not altogether a proper model for any of the higher and more elaborate kinds of compofition. Though the public have ever done much juftice to his merit, yet the nature of his merit has not always been feen in its true light: for, though his poetry be elegant, he certainly bears a higher rank among the profe writers, than he is intitled to among the poets; and, in profe, his humour is of a much higher and more original forain, than his philofophy. The character of Sir Roger de Coverley difcovers more genius than the critique on Milton. An Efay on the Right to a free exercife of Confcience, in Religious matters. W (Continued from page 61.) XHERE the policy of fate, or the the will of a tyrant, dictates the religion of the people, the bounds of the religions are described by the limits of the civil power. Such was the religion of this world, before the fpreading of that gofpel, which proclaimed LIBERTY to mankind; and placed the beggar on the dunghill, as to the rights of confcience, in equal rank with the monarch on the throne. But the inestimable blessing of religious freedom, in its felleft extent, feems yet to be left, as the inheritance of thofe generations, whofe benevo lent hearts fhall be equal to the enjoy ment of it. Had the true limits of religious power been underflood, fince the promulgation of the gospel, the rack could not have boafted its tortured millions, the dungeon's walls could not have witneffed the mifery of groaning faints, nor the winds have borne their cries,to the wide extremes of a guilty globe. There is a power given to chriftians in the holy religion they profefs; that is, a power over their own religious conduct; which no majority, no magiftrate, or authority on earth, can rightfully deprive them modes of worship. For the civil authority, had grasped religious power; and coercive eftablishments followed of confequence. The minority, accufed of herefy, laid their creeds before the Emperor, which the majority tore in pieces. Terrified at the fmiles of their new lord, the Emperor, on this irreligious outrage, thofe men who had before, in fupport of their principles, faced death in all its forms, now yielded their freedom: thus contenting themselves, with appealing from the candle of the Lord in their own bofoms, to the deftructive and bewildering torch of human authority. The confequence of which was, fays Doctor Larder, that "the chriftian reli"gion, which, for 300 years after the "afcenfion of Jefus, had been fpread"ing over a large part of Afia, Eu them of. When they are individuals of civil community, it is the duty of government, to preserve them full in the exercife of this power. They derive no authority from their religion, over any one of their fellow men; but fair perfuafion, and fober argument, all men are intitled to use,when any one will hear them. Still each man is, alone, the judge, whether arguments can produce conviction in his own mind. For "every man's pri"vate perfuafion, or belief, must be "founded upon evidence proposed to "his own mind, and he cannot but be"lieve, according as things appear to "himfelf, not to others; conviction "is always produced by the light "which is ftruck into the mind; and "aever by compulfion, or human authority. Chriftians have power, by the rules of the gofpel, to with- rope, and Africa, without the affiftdraw themselves from thofe, whofe "ance of fecular power, and church principles, and practice, they 'difap- "authority, and at the convening of prove. The fcripture doctrine of caft-"the council of Nice, was almoft ing them out, can be only a metaphorical defcription of that act of the mind, which closes the door of religious community against the offender. This, however, hath been much abufed, and had its share in the foundation of perfecution. That men who are bleffed with, and profefs to be go verned by, the precepts, and examples, of the meek, and benevolent Jefus, fhould claim authority over the confciences of others, in religious matters, is no lefs the fhame of paft, than it will be the aftonifhment of future ages. "every where, through thofe coun"tries, in a flourishing condition; in "the (pace of another 300 years, or "a little more, was greatly corrupted "in a large part of that extent, its "glory debafed, and its light almoft "extinguished." Previous to this unhappy council, the chriftians had only the allurements of foft perfuafion, and the force of difinterefied argament, to fupport their caufe, a caufe which, like a mighty torrent, bore down the ftubborn prejudice of ages, and flashed like lightning, from one part of the hemifphere to another. This affembly laid the foundation of that horrid Hierarchy, which hath fince deluged the world in the blood of innocents. An unusual rage of party fuceeded; which produced another council in the year 381, at Conftantinople: The Emperor of Rome, was from the time of the former council, looked up to, as the head of the church, and he called this council, as he faid, because The chriftian religion oppofed it felf to the vices and follies of the world, waded through perfecutions, wars, and murders, for the three firft centuries of it; and (pread wider,and with more purity, in thofe years,than for the like fpace of time in any period fince. In the beginning of the fourth century, the Emperor Conftantine was converted to a belief of the chriftian religion. The chriftians, through-he would have all his subjects, to Out Afia, Africa, and Europe, flood aftonished, to find that civil arm their protector, which before had been their Jeftroyer. A general council was convened by Conftantine, in the year 325, at Nice. Three hundred Bishops, or Prefbyters, were affembled on this call, to eftablish articles of faith, and "be of the fame religion, as that, "which was held by Damafus, Bishop "of Rome, and Peter, Bishop of Alex"andria" Another general council was called at Ephefus, in the year 431, to determine whether "the Vir"gin Mary was Theotokos, the mo"ther of God, or Chriftotokos, the "mother "mother of Chrißt only; that is, whe"ther the two natures of Jefus, were "united after the incarnation, so as "to occafion, a mutual community of "properties:" And they refolved the former, by a warm majority, and with fome foul play in the proceedings. This was like all other determinations of the majority, in articles of faith. If what they refolved to be true, was not fo before they met, it was as far from truth after they had difperfed, and ifit was true, their refult made it not a whit the more fo. Here the majority had a compleat triumph, and no doubt pretended they had done much for the advancement of religion; and we can easily conceive how enormously their pride muft bloat and rife, when they faw all thofe, who had a luft for domination croud to their gates, and bow at their feet. Another general council was held at Chalcedon, A. D. 451, when the prefident called in the proconful of Afia, with an armed hoft, and an outrageous rabble, to fupport the refult of the majority, which fome had fpirit enough to oppofe. The advanced weapons, contained fuch irrefiflible arguments, as caufed conviction to fet in filence on the tongue of the conquered minority. There now appeared a new power on earth, a fecular prince at the head of the church. There was an apparent church of human invention, but the church of Chrift appeared not at all. Rites and ceremonies, no longer had their foundation in the gospel, but were decreed by the double man, the man of civil and religious authority. Religion, in this new drefs, and falfe form, and thus affimilated to the pride and corruption of men's hearts, became a fit engine in the hand of tyrants to enslave the human race. Philofophy, or the love of truth, had formerly been encouraged, and then lately tolerated, by the Greeks and Romans; but now, as if that religion, which was intended, to enlighten the world, to difclofe the falfe, and fupport the true philofophy of men, was to be employed for the extirpation of all fcience, a folemn darkness overSpread the human mind throughout all Christendom, the few ideas conceived, fell into duft for want of utterance, "and men cealed to think, becaufe "that thinking was a crime." In a period of one thousand years, next fucceeding the last council abovement io ned, the benevolent and holy religion of our Lord, inftead of being enjoyed, as a fyftem which spoke peace on earth, and good will to men, was improved to debafe the human foul, and to render mankind wretched and miferable. Myfteries, fabricated by cunning devices, and established by luft of power totally enveloped, the pure and fimple principles of all religion: The confequence was, that the power of the national church increafed, and the wealth of Europe, &c. was in the hands of ecclefiafticks. Tithes were claimed as, a right, but never granted in Europe, until the time of Charlemagne, A. D. 794. At a fynod held at Franckfort, a capitulary was made, wherein it was faid, "that in "the laft famine, the ears of corn "were found empty, having been de"voured by devils, and that the "voices of those infernal spirits, had "been heard reproaching them, with "not having paid tithes." This device procured an ordinance for tithes, which the power of the clergy hath been capable of fupporting, in a great measure, in Europe until this day. The tafte for truth, and the love of freedom, in the fifteenth century, began to awake from the nap of ages;but as the civil authority ftill claimed the power of ruling in holy things, Luther and Calvin, and their followers, felt themfeives obnoxious to the rack, until Henry the eighth, inftigated more by the luft of temporal, then the love of spiritual enjoyments, revolted against the Pope, and, as a wit expreffes it ; "In the great Saint Peter's flead, This measure of Henry taught the fettered world, to suppose a poffibility of fhaking off the fhackles of a majority. The hiftory of cruelties exercifed on thofe, who afterwards diffented from the eftablished church of England, is too well known to need being mentioned in this production. Finally, the few, who dared to think for themselves, ainongit whom, were the the firft fettlers of this ftate, went into exile, with their families. When our ancestors, pilgrim-like, firft landed on this continent, then a gloomy wilderness, it is too evident, that they rather wished to obtain the free exercife of the right of confcience for themfelves, than to procure the invaluable bleffing for others. From the grant of the charter in 1691, religious liberty, was more tolerated, than it had been before: Great Britain at length attacked the civil rights of the colonies, which inftantly brought on the inveftigation of thofe effential, unalienable, perfonal rights, a furrender and an annihilation whereof, are the fame by nature, and which we join in civil fociety to preferv e, and not to yield to the controul of the magiftrate; an amazing light was kindled; the human mind expanded; the importance of perfonal rights was comprehended, and fully underflood. While the people were thus enlightened, and in the full poffeflion of that freedom, for which they lavished their treafure, and while the blood of patriots fmoked to heaven, in defence of liberty, a Convention was called by the people, to compile a Declaration of Rights, and to form a Conftitution of Civil Government. There was no fect or party unreprefented in this great affair, and the dome was reared and compleat ed, with apartments, amply fufficient for each feet to worship God according to the dictates of their own confciences. No fooner had the fun fhone upon this fabrick, but the luftre of it was confeffed in Europe and America; men hailed it as the temple of freedom, and the monument of political felicity. But thould it be neglected, it will imperceptibly decay, and the wrinkled hand of Time will fhed the duft of diffolution upon it. ABSTRACT of Sir WM. HAMILTON'S Account of the late EARTHQUAKES in CALABRIA and SICILY. ed by the earthquake of Feb. 5,783, which continued to be felt fenfibly, though lefs violently, to May 23. This tract is comprehended between the 38th and 39th deg. of N. lat. ; and the great eft force of the earthquake seems to have exerted itself from the foot of thofe mountains of the Appennines called Monte Deio, Monte Sacro, and Monte Coulone,extending weftward to the Tyrrhene Sea: the towns, villages, and farm houfes neareft to those mountains fituated either on the hills, or in the plain, were totally ruined by the first shock of Feb. 5, about noon, which was inftantaneous, without warning, from the bottom upwards, and the greatest mortality was there; even the moft diftant towns had been greatly damaged by fubfequent fhocks, efpecially those of Feb. 7, 26, 28, and March 1, The motions of the earth had been various, either whirling like a vortex, horizontal, or by pulfations or beatings from the bottom upwards, the rains continual and violent, often accompanied with lightning, and irregular and furious gufts of wind. From the city of Amantea, fituated on the coaft of the Tyrrhene Sea, in Calabria Citra, and proceeding weftward and then up the Eaft coaft, as far as to Cape Spartivento in Calabria Ultra, Cape d'Alice, a part of Calabria Citra, on the Ionian Sea, there is not a town or village, either on the coaft or inland, but is totally deftroyed, or has fuffered more or lefs, amounting in all to near 400 pacfe, or villages, containing 100 inhabitants. The fum total of the mortality in both Calabrias and in Sicily by the earthquakes alone, as returned to the Secretary of State's Office in Naples, is 32,367; but, including frangers, the number of lives loft may fairly be ftated at 40,000. Of the number of fhocks, amounting to fome hundreds, the longeft and moft violent were thofe of Feb. 5, 6, 27, March 1 and 28; and of these the firft and laft muft have been tremendous, the motion of the earth being fo ACIRCLE, whofe radius is equal violent that the heads of the largeft to 22 Italian miles, included in aBother, with a radius of 72 miles round the city of Oppido in Calabria, will nearly take in the whole of that counay that has any mark of being affect trees almoft touched the ground from fide to fide. They alone were fenfibly felt in Naples. Sir Wm. Hamilton fetting out from Naples, May 2, on a tour of twenty days |